About the Researchers

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Dr. Sojung Kim

Dr. Sojung Kim is an assistant professor at West Chester University and the PI of the CRL.
She is very happy to join the WCU faculty as a new member. Dr. Kim was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. Ever
since she moved to the U.S. in 1998, she has been living in 6 different states including CA, UT, OH, NY, AZ,
and PA. Dr. Kim hopes that West Chester is the final place where she and her family can settle down in peace.
She is mother of Etienne and Ennette, two Capricorn kids.

Elizabeth Clarke

My name is Elizabeth Clarke. I attended university in Montreal, QC and received my B.A. from Concordia University in psychology. I worked as a residential teacher at a school for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. During this time I attended University of Massachusetts Boston and earned a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. It was my work with children with autism that fostered my interest to pursue a career in Speech Language Pathology. In 2006 I joined the Peace Corps and spent the next two years living in Romania volunteering my time working with families who had children with developmental disabilities, teaching English, and building houses. After this time period I moved back to Philadelphia where I started on my track to pursuing a master's degree in Communicative Disorders. I completed the pre-SLP program from LaSalle University while working as an early intervention provider in Philadelphia. Areas of interest include language acquisition for children with autism spectrum disorders, early intervention programs for at risk children, and traumatic brain injury.

Janelle Kaiser

My name is Janelle Kaiser and I'm from New Freedom, PA. I got my B.A. in communicative disorders from West Chester University and also recently started my Master's degree here at West Chester. During my undergraduate career I spent a lot of time working with children in different day care settings and I also spent a semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland. Although I really enjoy working with children, the medical aspect of speech language pathology really interests me as well. In particular I am especially interested in stroke and TBI rehabilitation, which is what originally sparked my interest in researching Melodic Intonation Therapy. I really look forward to completing my research project in the upcoming year and hopefully presenting my findings at the ASHA convention in 2012.

Ralph Magliano

My name is Ralph Magliano. I am a first year Graduate Student, here at West Chester, studying Speech Language Pathology. Before being accepted into the PCP program, I spent a year abroad studying Mandarin and teaching English in Chongqing, China. SLP sort of chose me when I started a program for Chinese students interested in accent reduction. To evoke English speech sounds that did not exist in Mandarin, I used their native sounds and shaped them into the English sounds that we were trying to achieve. We also used music based strategies. One of my current goals is to master music related therapies as they relate to TBI/Stroke Rehabilitation/Stuttering and communication. I am particularly interested in the latest research involving the use of musical elements (right brain hemisphere) to bypass damaged language areas (left hemisphere). I love to play the piano, write, sing, camp, cook, and learn. I am lucky and honored to be a part of Dr. Kim’s research team. She is an inspiring teacher and mentor.

Isabella DiLauro

My name is Isabella DiLauro and I am from Delaware Water Gap, PA. I am currently in my third year at West Chester University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders with a minor in Linguistics. I plan to graduate in May 2014 and attend graduate school in fall of 2014 for Speech-Language Pathology. My primary areas of interest include: early intervention, augmentative and alternative communication, autism spectrum disorders and speech therapy for children who are deaf and hearing impaired. During my time at West Chester University I have been very involved on campus and in the community. In spring of 2011 I was inducted into Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity, which is an academic, service oriented fraternity. I also have been president of the Environmental Association For The Repair of The Habitat for the past two years. Through these organizations I have been able to participate in many hours of community service, which has been an integral part of my time at West Chester University.

Leah Coan

My name is Leah Coan. I am currently a senior at West Chester University. I am working towards a bachelors degree in Communicative Disorders. My intended graduation date is May of 2013. I plan on attending graduate school in the Fall of 2013. My focus will be in Speech-Langauge Pathology. My interests in the field are infants who have swallowing disorders as well as children with speech and language disabilities. At West Chester University, I have been very involved on campus and in the community. I am currently the NSSLHA President for the 2012-2013 school year. I was inducted into the Abbé Society in the Spring of 2012. The Abbé Society is a community service organization at WCU. I was a resident assistant in the residence halls on campus for my sophomore and junior years. After much training, I am also a Certified Student Leader through S.A.I.L. (Students Actively Involved in Leadership). West Chester has given the opportunity to learn both inside the classroom as well as out in the community and for that I am grateful.

Jessica Miller

My name is Jessica Miller and I am from Southampton, PA. I am a senior at West Chester University and will be graduating in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders. After completing my undergraduate degree at West Chester University I will be pursing my Master's Degree to continue my education in speech-language pathology. Everything about speech-language pathology intrigues me, but my main areas of interest are early intervention and aphasia in adults and children.

Erica Hessenthaler

My name is Erica Hessenthaler and I am from Maple Glen, PA. I am a junior at West Chester University. I plan on graduating in May 2014 with a Bachelor of the Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I plan on completing my master's degree in speech-language pathology after I complete my undergraduate degree. My main interest in the field of speech pathology is language disorders. When I complete my master's degree, I would like to work with children who have language disorders in either a medical setting or a private practice.

Samantha Shaw

My
name is Samantha Shaw and I am from North Jersey. I am working towards a
Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders. I will be graduating from
West Chester University
in May 2015 and will then attend graduate school in Fall of 2015 for
Speech-Language Pathology. At the moment, I am interested in working
with infants who have swallowing disorders, although this might change
as I learn more about various fields. At West Chester
University, I am currently a Resident Assistant and have been involved
with NSSLHA for almost a year. My time at West Chester so far has been
extremely rewarding and I know that it can only get better.